Before - Legends Through Cloud and Sunshine-Thank you for the noms and the votes for most Underrated! A/N

Title: Through Cloud and Sunshine
Author: Noelie
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn and OC's. Noela belongs to Ish and she has allowed me to borrow. Her little sister, Baby Mere and her grandmother are mine.

Notes: This is from Same Time Next Year, but was a story that touched my co-writer at the very least and I thought should have a shot at recognition as a stand alone.

~~~~~

Qui-Gon knew of course that Alderaan was beautiful, but even to his eyes there were few places in the Galaxy more exquisite than this hideaway of the Ovorp family just outside of Antibes.

It hadn?t felt right to arrive here by speeder; something infinitely precious and graceful in the Living Force would have been insulted. There was something perfectly enchanting in how the richness of nature had been so well tended, so cared for and yet so unsullied by artifice. Wild fowl flew overhead, their strident cries good company in his solitude.

His tall, slim form showing signs of the full adult power he would reach in a few years gained the appreciative looks of more than one female Alderaanian as he passed. Were his mind not fully occupied with one particular female he might have enjoyed the attention.

Life of a Jedi being what it was, he hadn?t heard of her trouble; in fact had no idea Noela had left Coruscant abruptly two months before. It troubled him that she hadn?t turned to him immediately upon hearing of her parent?s accident and death, but honesty had him admitting that it was her habit not to impose upon their relationship, particularly since the edict.

He stood at the bottom of the gentle rise that led to the family home, to look closely at the place Noela considered her refuge. It was delightful and yet exotically unique for anything he had seen in the galaxy, having the charm of an idea that had come from the bygone days of another world the Grandmother was from.

He carefully climbed the capped stone steps, carefully wending their way to the large wrap-around porch that would allow guests to sit and enjoy the spectacular views available from the house. He drew in an appreciative breath of grass, flowers and even the salt air of the ocean less than a mile away from the house, and knocked carefully on the door.

It opened, and a woman that could only be the grandmother with her thick plait of hair crowning her head and her perfect nose. A smile warmed the face as of yet unlined by age, and a quick glance to his belt and the light saber carefully tucked there continued to improve the smile by guarded recognition.

?You must be Qui-Gon Jinn.? Her voice was cultured but with an accent he could not place.

He remembered, just barely the clipped bow and the brush of his lips to her hand that his Master had perfected and taught on many of their lessons of behavior toward women Master Dooku felt of worth and breeding.

?I am indeed, Madam Ovorp.?

She indicated by gesture and turn of her head to follow her to an elegant room, where he could only assume a great deal of her musical pursuits took place. In the corner was a gorgeous instrument, a piano, yet unlike anything he had ever seen before. His fingers ran idly over the keys, the sound somehow gratifying to his soul. She watched for a moment, and then gestured to a chair by a little table set with tisane.

For long moments they considered their cups, and then she observed, ?Noela didn?t say you were coming.?

?I did try to warn her ma?am, but she didn?t seem to be receiving my messages. At least she wasn?t responding to them. I am sorry for the loss of your son.? It seemed to Qui-Gon a pathetically small sentiment to express to a woman that had just had such a loss.

She bowed her head briefly. ?Thank you, I appreciate what you had to go through to actually come to us. I am not insensible of it all, seeing as you have been forbidden to have contact with Noela.?

Qui-Gon smiled a charming, crooked grin, ?Yes ma?am, the council and my Master are despairing of me as we speak.?

She gave a little, amused laugh at his open honesty admitting that he h

I have to say that I really do like Noela's grandmother. She's got a sensible head on her shoulders, but also has a keen heart that keeps her in touch with those essential but ephemeral things that matter most in life.

Brentus of Gath: Yes my dear friend, you did read it before wading through some of the good, ( that would be Ish) the bad (me on occasion) and the silly of Same Time Next Year. I still appreciate you doing that. But I liked this one. Thanks for giving a bit more input again!

Leiamoody: I am glad you like Esther. She comes in handy on occasion. I liked giving Noela family and ties.

Healer Leona: I am glad something about it caught your eyes. Yes indeed I will pm for the second half of the story.

Valairy Scot: thanks for coming to read. I am glad you also like Esther, she was a fun character to imagine.

Part 2
~~~~~
After a wonderful dinner, where Esther kept both young people entertained with her stories of her first years on Alderaan and trying to get used to a whole different life, she scooted them out to the veranda.

She shook her head, wondering at the innocence of youth, even one that had to kill before he was 16 and a girl that waded through the dirty waters of politics for the last four years. Something in the air was sweet when they were together. It really was most unfortunate, Esther thought as she watched them wander out to the veranda to sit, in the twilight.

Her girlie needed him, she could see that, but with the training of strength she had tried to instill, Noela had pressed forward, asking for and presuming nothing. It was the one right thing she was doing, if you could categorize such things as right in matters of the heart. Even then it made it very hard for a girl that should be able to be vulnerable at times such as these.

Esther had once had her Deris, tall and immensely strong to lean on, who had taught her that she could laugh and cry again; that she was allowed to love and live for the next sunrise.

Yes, she could cry in her alone moments over the loss of her son and daughter-in-law, but the girl had held tight rein on her emotion, caring for the younger sisters until they returned to their studies on Coruscant. Noela insisted, even though Esther was quite sure that the age of 65 did not have her with one foot in the grave in this part of the universe and that baby Mere and she would get on quite well, that she stay and help raise her until she was ready for school.

Esther had prayed for a miracle. It seemed God intended it in the shape of young Qui-Gon Jinn.

~~~~~

Noela kept putting a safe distance between them, Qui-Gon grinned, used to Noela?s sense of propriety, but not used to her carefully closed-off self. She was standing with her hand on the railing, her other arm around the post.

He went up behind her putting his arm around her waist. ?Qui-Gon_? she quietly warned.

?What J?m? We have stood this close often before. I can?t exactly do this with Master Dooku you know, and I rather like having one human in the galaxy I can touch in something other than a sparring match.?

?What?s with the gem thing?? she looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

?I don?t know, I heard it somewhere and just thought it was a nickname that would suit you.? He did know, but wild bantha?s wouldn?t drag it from him.

?You think I am a rock? That?s comforting.? She snorted.

?Well actually now that I think of it, your grandmother said you were a rock, ?as he gave her ribs a quick jab, the tickling game something they used to indulge in as 15 year olds.

She wasn?t having any of it though, moving to plop herself in a chair quite alone in its placement, and would only seat one small woman at that.

He was undeterred however, because he knew her better than anyone, and the Living Force was telling him that there was something to solve. He obtained an ottoman from the main furniture setting and placed it in front of her snd solemnly sat himself down upon it, and took her hands.

?It isn?t really the edict is it? The council and my Master have been looking askance at our friendship since the very first holo taken at that concert. Anything they put in place now can only be temporary until I am a knight anyway.?

"Of course I do, I want whatever you want for yourself. It's..." She paused, "I just can't talk about it right now." She abruptly stood and ran to her room, leaving Qui-Gon feeling very confused watching after her.

What she wants, Qui-Gon is for you to want her for yourself. As dense as duracrete.

Aw...I'm not even sure what to say. Beautifully written. Not quite bittersweet, but not joyful. Meaning this as a compliment, its very "real." In a way, I think that is one of the best compliments I can give.

Healer_Leona: Yes it is a horrible time in mourning where it hurts so badly we want to stop feeling, but that hurts too. Thanks for graciously taking the time to read the second half

BrentusofGath: Um.. yes that could be a term for it. Well it was the end of this little story. Do you have an idea for more?

Valairy_Scot: Thank you. That is a sweet compliment. I treasure it highly.

Lea-El: Thank you! I am glad you like how I wrote Qui-Gon. I adore that particular Jedi. I don't suppose it shows? The house? Well I rather took some 'inspiration' for the out of doors from a few Thomas Kincaid paintings and at least hoped I was giving some degree of what this home is like. Thanks for coming to read

Superb piece, Noels! Indisputably award-worthy. Having read the excerpt in the Resource thread, I knew I had to get around to reading the whole thing eventually. And I'm glad I did.

It hadn?t felt right to arrive here by speeder; something infinitely precious and graceful in the Living Force would have been insulted.

Great line. Very Qui-Gon.

He carefully climbed the capped stone steps, carefully wending their way to the large wrap-around porch that would allow guests to sit and enjoy the spectacular views available from the house. He drew in an appreciative breath of grass, flowers and even the salt air of the ocean less than a mile away from the house, and knocked carefully on the door.

This is a great example of the top-notch description which was particularly noticeable in the first part. It really gave the impression of a vast, windswept, rugged landscape which totally set the scene and dragged you into the story.

Esther had prayed for a miracle. It seemed God intended it in the shape of young Qui-Gon Jinn.

I really like the reference to God here. It makes so much sense for the character and it's also a breath of fresh air for a Star Wars fic to mention the word 'God' even in passing rather than just substitute it for 'the Force'.

Very good work from start to finish, Noelie! Congrats again on the award, and here's to many more to come!

I just love how you write those two. They're touching in how natural they are together, in spite of the very unique circumstances that mean they will never be more to each other than they are now--very, very dear friends.

The descriptions are just beautiful!

I know I've dipped into Noelaverse before, but forgot during the dark times of my computer crash. I'm very grateful to have found your stories again!

ratna: Thank you. I appreciate your words on their realtionship. I feel the same way. I am glad you found good things in the story.

bi0nic: Thank you again, my friend. I am glad the excerpt worked to make you want to read it.

I hoped to mirror what a young Qui-Gon might have done and thought in such a situation. I am glad the descriptions work, and yes it is quite a wonderful area I had concieved in my head for this, windswept, and magestic, but somehow home 'place' too.

As for Esther, double thank you. Yes the use of God was very intended and very specific to this one wonderful character. Esther has a history I might tell at some point, but God would be a focus for her. She would refer to the force for the Jedi, but her belief is God. I am glad it worked, and I am glad it was a breath of fresh air. You always wonder about those things, but .. well she was Esther and I couldn't do any less for her.

Araxie: My most loyal fan. Thank you. You will never forget running in the Konchat Highlands with your sister screaming "I WHAT? I WHAT??? " lol

Ara-gon: I am glad you are back. I love these two, and I have a firm belief about how much they truly love each other. Only the truest love keeps people honorable, even in the wish for more. I wanted them to be a sort of alternate mirror image for Anakin/Padme later. The ones who handled it "right" for the society, and the other.. that well really didnt', even though we understand the horrible fix they were in.